The following text is about Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.Despite facing significant discrimination in the...
GMAT Information and Ideas : (Ideas) Questions
The following text is about Marie Curie, the first woman to win a Nobel Prize.
Despite facing significant discrimination in the male-dominated scientific community of the early 1900s, Marie Curie demonstrated extraordinary perseverance and intellectual rigor. At age 34, she became the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize, recognizing her groundbreaking research on radioactivity. Even after this historic achievement, she continued her demanding laboratory work while raising two daughters and managing her deceased husband's research commitments. Her colleagues noted that she possessed an unusual combination of meticulous attention to detail and bold theoretical thinking. While other scientists of her era often relied on established methods, Curie consistently developed innovative experimental techniques that advanced the entire field of chemistry.
According to the text, what is true about Marie Curie?
Curie struggled to balance her family responsibilities with her scientific work.
Curie was more successful than her male colleagues due to her unique methods.
Curie displayed exceptional dedication and innovation in her scientific career.
Curie's theoretical thinking was more important than her experimental skills.
Step 1: Decode and Map the Passage
Part A: Passage Analysis Table
| Text from Passage | Analysis |
|---|---|
| "Despite facing significant discrimination in the male-dominated scientific community of the early 1900s, Marie Curie demonstrated extraordinary perseverance and intellectual rigor." |
|
| "At age 34, she became the first woman to receive a Nobel Prize, recognizing her groundbreaking research on radioactivity." |
|
| "Even after this historic achievement, she continued her demanding laboratory work while raising two daughters and managing her deceased husband's research commitments." |
|
| "Her colleagues noted that she possessed an unusual combination of meticulous attention to detail and bold theoretical thinking." |
|
| "While other scientists of her era often relied on established methods, Curie consistently developed innovative experimental techniques that advanced the entire field of chemistry." |
|
Part B: Passage Architecture & Core Elements
Main Point: Marie Curie overcame significant challenges to become a pioneering scientist who combined exceptional dedication with innovative methods that advanced chemistry.
Argument Flow: The passage establishes Curie's challenging environment, then demonstrates her remarkable response through her Nobel Prize achievement. It shows her sustained commitment even after success, presents external validation of her unique intellectual combination, and concludes by contrasting her innovative approach with typical scientific practice of her era.
Step 2: Interpret the Question Precisely
This is a fill-in-the-blank question asking us to choose the best logical connector. The answer must create the right relationship between what comes before and after the blank.
Step 3: Prethink the Answer
- From our analysis, the correct answer should capture Curie's defining characteristics as presented in the passage
- The text emphasizes her exceptional dedication (perseverance through discrimination, continued work despite multiple responsibilities) and her innovative approach (developing new experimental techniques while others used established methods)
- The right answer should reflect this combination of dedication and innovation that made her distinctive in her field
Curie struggled to balance her family responsibilities with her scientific work.
- Claims Curie "struggled" to balance family and work responsibilities
- The passage mentions she raised daughters and managed research commitments but presents this as evidence of her dedication, not struggle
Curie was more successful than her male colleagues due to her unique methods.
- States she was "more successful than her male colleagues" due to unique methods
- While the passage shows she was innovative and successful, it doesn't compare her success level to male colleagues specifically
Curie displayed exceptional dedication and innovation in her scientific career.
- Matches exactly what our analysis revealed about Curie's key characteristics - exceptional dedication and innovation
- This captures both main threads the passage weaves about her character
Curie's theoretical thinking was more important than her experimental skills.
- Claims her theoretical thinking was more important than experimental skills
- The passage specifically describes her as having an "unusual combination" of both theoretical thinking and attention to detail, showing both were important